Part XLI: How To Be a Good Client

Yes, the "customer is always right", and I live by that motto in all of my business ventures, but there are times when that customer is so impossible and so unlikeable, that it just isn't worth their business to have to put up with them. Eventually, they bounce around to every screenwriting service, consultant, or mentor until they've burned ALL of their industry bridges, then complain how the INDUSTRY is messed up and exclusionary.

There are a few things one can do AS a screenwriting service client or "mentee" that would make you less of a client and more of a PARTNER. I get clients all day long, everyday. What I look for in your project is a "partner". I'll do the work and teach you. The best you can do is learn from it.

Here are some five (5) tips on how to be a good partner/client;

1. Understand that most of the services, consultants and mentors are HELPING you, which is what you're paying for- help. Listen, learn and implement. Most of them are professionals. Do you want to argue how a specific scene should be written after comparing YOUR screenwriting experience to one of theirs? In the end, you can do what you'd like to the screenplay, but while working with them, remember- they ARE the professionals.
2. You're probably NOT their ONLY client, although the good ones will treat you as such. As for myself, I have literally hundreds of "mentees" (not to be confused with manatees) with whom I continually work. Included in this is a group of Nigerian writers that I work with pro-bono. I don't "work" with everyone everyday; that would be impossible; but I'm fielding emails, texts, and DM's all day, everyday. I actually LOVE hearing from my clients. To me, it's a sign of trust and confidence in the information they are getting from us.
3. Many of the good consultants or mentors out there are STILL working writers; some work in a writing room somewhere; others are freelance. This is important to remember. If you have such a consultant or mentor, you've got a good one. If they're working on an ongoing television series, or feature film production, someone has invested millions of dollars into a project based on their skill. If you're working with them for $19.00, or $400.00, or even $10,000.00- consider the bargain you got! The good ones will get opportunities away from their specific consulting or mentoring business, and WILL be required to work on an extremely tight deadline. Most of the regular clients don't have that tight deadline. Once you become aware of what is happening, just be patient. They're NOT ignoring you, or choosing one over the other. Like doctors, we have to prioritize patients, and YOUR patience is invaluable to us.

1. What affects YOU in life, affects the consultant and/or mentor. This includes accidents, illnesses, pandemics, family life, etc. No- chances are, they HAVEN'T taken your $79.00 coverage fee and flown off to the Bahamas to screw you over. I DID have someone I hired for work take my $3600 (they requested a year's payment in advance because they were in a tough spot) and flew off to Los Angeles- never doing the work I hired them to do. I sued them, and won- but they are STILL out there "offering" screenwriting services to other unsuspecting victims.
2. In the process of being a good "client", or even a good "friend", we would hope that, if you are pleased with the work you received, you would provide a recommendation or even a referral. We would HOPE that you would help promote the business. On this topic, this weekend I experienced something very disturbing and, quite frankly, hurtful. I won't mention any names, but he knows who I'm talking about. For months, I've provided very last minute screenwriting assistance to this person, including rewriting part of a script for the next day's pitch meeting; a brand new treatment for HIS client because this person didn't know how to write them, and a half dozen more such assistance. I even promoted him and his projects in this very newsletter; picture and all (May 10, 2021)!

I loved doing it because he was a friend and needed the help. He never paid any money, but promised all things great promises when his "deal comes through". I knew no such deal was GOING to happen, but I humored him nonetheless. He supposedly had an opportunity to get some screenplays to a particular producer, so I submitted a few through him. Needless to say, I never heard anything back from him regarding those submissions.

The LAST this I expected from this "friend" was to promote another screenwriting service/consultant. Now, the book he promoted- a screenwriting book- was written by an excellent consultant and writer, but I'm pretty sure "friend"; never used his services. Quite frankly, he's the type of guy that walks away from the bar when the bill comes. I promote David Trottier's book, "The Screenwriter's Bible" and David Santo's "A Practical Guide for Writing a Film" because I believe wholeheartedly these are the ONLY books you will ever need in screenwriting.

All I would EXPECT from someone for whom I've done so many favors out of friendship is just a wee bit reciprocation. Maybe not even reciprocation; just don't promote the competition.

https://www.amazon.com/Screenwriting-Practical-Guide-Writing-Film-ebook/dp/B00KF0M25G

https://www.amazon.com/Screenwriters-Complete-Writing-Formatting-Selling/dp/1935247212/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=dave+trottier&qid=1625493604&s=books&sr=1-1

WRITER'S BIO: Mr. Scala spent 22-plus years in the Hollywood community, and was the Executive Director for the?72nd Annual Academy Awards, as well as?The Soul Train Awards,?The Grammys,?The Blockbuster Video Awards Show?and?The Saturn Award Show.?He recently completed the screenplay adaptation of the novel "Making Broken Beautiful" by?Pamela Millican-Hartnoll; a tragic story of excessive abuse and redemptive success. Currently, he is working on the fascinating autobiographical adaptation of "Call Me Zena", by Sally Barnard who, after a brief illness, began experiencing intergalactic travels while also developing high-level artistic skills overnight!

Most recently, Mr. Scala has been hired as the executive script consultant on a major feature film scheduled for filming in August, 2021. He is also developing the screenplay adaptations of rock pioneer?Jimmie F. Rodgers, Motown star Tammi Terrell and iconic folk singer?Harry Chapin- all while continuing to mentor new writers and self-published authors. Geno has two screenplays produced into feature films;?"Assassin 33 A.D."? and?"The Tombs".?Both are currently available on Amazon Prime.